No Deposit Auto Insurance

No deposit auto insurance is an intriguing option for car insurance customers who may be having cash flow problems at the time they need coverage. The cost of auto insurance has steadily increased through the years, making it difficult for some car owners to pay for a policy up front at inception. Many insurers have responded with different options for paying policy premiums. One option that's become popular among policy holders is low money down insurance. But customers have yet another option to help them get insured when they do not have a lot of money to work with. No deposit auto insurance is available for those who cannot come up with the funds for a down payment. There are some great advantages to this type of car coverage, but also some drawbacks. Any decision on whether to take this route for your car plan should involve a consideration of the option from all angles.

Explanation of No Deposit Coverage

To start with, it is informative to take a look at a basic definition and explanation of what no deposit auto insurance is. It is quite simply a car policy you can obtain as a driver without having to put any money down ahead of the covered policy period. These types of policies can be of a standard length, such as a six month or one year policy. But in practical terms the stipulations of coverage render a no deposit plan a monthly one. This is because in most cases when you contract a policy like this you end up having to make monthly payments against the annual premium.

By setting up coverage this way, auto insurers are able to create a nice scenario both for themselves and for drivers. For the provider, the requirement of a monthly draw against the premium balance ensures that they will not have to insure a driver who is not keeping up with payments. Any financial misstep and the policy can be canceled at no real loss to the provider. For the driver, the same scenario really offers a similar benefit. You can pay for the policy in manageable chunks, so handling the premium is less arduous. Anyone who is regularly employed but just tends to live hand to mouth might find this option attractive because you are only paying for the protection you are getting, as you get it. This increases present cash flow and keeps more money in your pocket longer while still getting you into a legal insurance policy.

Advantages of Zero Down Policies

This brings us to a wider discussion of the advantages of zero down auto insurance. For drivers who cannot get car coverage any other way, it presents a great option for getting insured and legally out on the road. If you are a driver who has just gone back to work after a layoff and your savings are depleted or if you're living off unemployment wages and money is tight, getting rid of the down payment and spreading out the payments for your insurance plan can benefit you greatly. Just having the ability to become insured without having to pay any money up front is a great advantage in itself.

Zero down policies structured with monthly payments make more sense financially to consumers who are used to paying for things in monthly installments. Since you are not getting next month's coverage until next month, and anything can happen between now and then, it makes sense to wait to pay for that chunk of protection until next month. This leads to another advantage, which is flexibility.

Even drivers who do not have cash flow issues may elect this option simply because of the greater flexibility it offers to them as auto owners. For example, if you are considering moving out of state in the coming months but are still trying line up work or locate housing, you do not want to cut all ties with your home state, and you want to be set up for insurance while you are still here. But you don't want all your money tied up in a policy that you might not even completely use. Putting no money down and just making installment payments promotes easier cancellation if you do end up relocating and having to contract with an insurer in another state sometime down the line.

For insurers, offering these plans expands their base of potential customers. An insurer selling these policies can appeal to customers who would otherwise not be able to afford their services. It helps them to increase enrollment while also cutting down on uninsured motorists and the great expenses of dealing with them in accident claim situations with their own clients. The concept of no money down plans gives insurers and agents one more way to reach customers and help them to get into a plan that accommodates their financial situation. Any provider well equipped to recruit customers from disparate financial backgrounds can position itself to grow its business and stay competitive in the industry. No deposit plans may be attractive to high risk customers who might be more likely than average to miss a payment, but the way they are typically set up greatly limits the risk taken on by providers offering these plans.

No Deposit Plans Have Downsides

Although no deposit auto insurance policies are a great option to have available to consumers, they are not a no brainer for anyone thinking of getting coverage this way. Just like with any other option, there are downsides to no deposit plans, and these negatives have to be addressed in order for consumers to have a complete picture of their choices before they sign on for coverage.

One of the main downsides of no deposit car insurance plans for consumers is the fact that they usually come with a price. In exchange for any kind of installment payment setup, customers normally pay an installment fee. This is usually a fixed amount of money per payment. The more the payments are spread out, the bigger the total installment fee. Since many no deposit auto insurance policies are structured with monthly payments, consumers opting for these plans end up paying a fee for each month of the covered policy period.

On top of the installment fee, some of these no deposit plans also come with an additional surcharge built into the premium as a payment for allowing you to get insured without having to put any money down at all. Each individual provider offering no deposit plans may administer these plans in slightly different ways, so it is dangerous to try to generalize too much about the way these plans are set up. Suffice it to say that as a customer, you should be aware of some of these possible drawbacks as well as the advantages inherent in no deposit auto insurance policies, so that you can investigate them from every possible angle and make an informed choice.

No deposit auto insurance is a unique coverage option that may appeal to a large group of car owners. Get all the facts on no deposit auto insurance and decide whether this option is best for you.